Peel Ports picks contractor for Liverpool 2 expansion

McLaughlin & Harvey has been chosen to deliver an expansion of the deep-water container terminal on the Mersey with work set to complete in 2021.

The next phase of the port includes the addition of 10 cantilever rail-mounted gantry cranes, and three ship-to-shore cranes. There will also be additional reefer points installed to allow the terminal to handle additional refrigerated containers at the Port of Liverpool.

Detailed designs and preparatory civil engineering works are now under way with the first cranes arriving in November.

The opening phase of the £400m container port was built by Bam Nuttall, but a sinkhole appeared at the berth of the port in February 2017, three months after its opening. Remedial works completed in November 2017.

Elsewhere on the Mersey, McLaughlin & Harvey is currently on site at Liverpool’s £50m cruise liner terminal after beating three others bidders to the contract.

Mark Whitworth, chief executive of Peel Ports said: “Since originally announcing our expansion plans we have gone on to secure some of the world’s major shipping lines as customers at the Port of Liverpool.

“That, and our growing customer base, is a vote of confidence in the North of England as a competitive route to international markets and a major port for global trade. We look forward to working with the team at McLaughlin & Harvey to deliver the next phase that will provide even more capacity to help meet growing demand.”